Emotional stress, the kind that comes in times of trouble, can be debilitating both physically and mentally.  You may find you’re making bad decisions and living an unenthusiastic life.   Consequently, it’s easy to give in to stress and let it take over.  As a matter of fact, the longer you’re in the state of dis-ease, the more natural it becomes.  Actually, you begin to accept it.  However, being stressed out is not something to embrace.  In all honesty, you need an arsenal of solutions to shake it off.  There are many different ways to fight back against stress. 

Anxious to get rid of stress? Here are 10 things that work for me.

1. Relieve stress with meditation, essential oil therapy, & white noise.

Yeah, I know the thought of taking up meditation is overwhelming. All that sitting around and thinking about nothing. That seems more stressful to me. But, add some essential oil to a diffuser and play some white noise of waves crashing on the beach and I guarantee you’ll be looking forward to your next session.

The 4-7-8 Meditation Technique is a piece of cake and really does the trick in just a few minutes. Read about it here.

2. Affirmations can set you in the right direction for inner peace.

Sometimes you’re just looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. Affirmations harness the power of positive thinking. Furthermore, affirmations send the good vibes out to the universe and allow us to instinctively take the steps that will align us with our desires.

Learn more in this Dance Safari post, “5 Affirmations for When You Need Encouragement“.

3. Make forgiveness a habit.

Is there a particular person who’s causing you to be stressed out? If so, forgiveness is the gift that keeps on giving. It can be anyone, even yourself. They say that holding a grudge eats away at your happiness. In some respects, that’s true. If that’s the case, then forgiveness is done for you. But, wouldn’t it be nice if the one who ‘done you wrong‘ took your forgiveness to heart and tried to become a better person?

4. Release fear because what will be, will be.

It seems to me that it’s a terrific waste of energy to be afraid when there’s a real good chance that what you fear will never materialize. For example, you may be afraid of getting sick. Well, what I say is, “There’s no need to worry because I’ll either get sick or I won’t.” I hereby release fear, and I am free!

5. Music and dancing will absolutely perform mood magic.

What type of music wraps itself around you and takes you to another place? Figure it out, because that’s what you need to be listening to. For an additional boost to your mental well-being, there’s always dancing. Did you really think I was going to address stress in this post and leave dancing out?

6. Any activity that gets you moving is good when you’re stressed out.

Get moving. Try gardening, painting, running, swimming, walking the dog, or even shopping. The more effort you put into it, the faster you’ll leave your funk behind. If you want to forget your troubles, just get active.

7. Find a good listener.

When you’re troubled by a worried mind, you need a person who wants to hear what you have to say. It could be a counselor, priest, doctor, friend, or family member.

One more thing, if you can’t find the right person, just put pen to paper and journal your feelings. It’s not perfect, but its better than nothing.

8. Become a caretaker

A really good way of getting out of your head is to take care of somebody else. It could be an elderly member of your family, your little grandchild, or the neighbor kid who counts on you for guidance.

9. Cleaning up and decluttering your life and mind helps with anxiety.

Start with your home. Be it large or small, I guarantee there’s plenty of work to be done. Clearing out the cobwebs, both literally and figuratively, is a great way to get a handle on your feelings.

10. Prepare mentally and physically for any what if’s.

For example, “What if the hurricane hits us!” is a phrase that’s loaded with anxiety. How about you prepare, you know, just in case. See this Dance Safari post, “What to Do When You’re Waiting for a Hurricane“.

Most of the things that you can do to drive anxiety and stress away are easy. Others, not so much. That’s why you need to keep trying until you find what works for you. Because variety is the spice of life, feel free to try them all.